A Country Practice — Season 7

Aired 5 January 1987 • 46 min

Jo is saddened to learn her mother has moved away and left no forwarding address. Donna and Jo travel to Rottnest Island and see the native Quokka firsthand.

Aired 6 January 1987

Frank and Shirley travel to the United States to see Vicky, Simon and the twins. Ben is victimised by irate farmers when he announces that the whole milk supply of the Valley will have to be dumped.

The wife of a roadhouse owner has a late pregnancy with a fifty-fifty chance that the child will be malformed. Kenny Mitchell is employed at the roadhouse behind the counter, with his special being a hamburger with the lot.

There's a burglar on the loose in Wandin Valley. Esme is among the victims, and Sally is finding it a difficult case to solve. Laura breaks down and tells her mother why she is so upset about the Major's proposal.

Wandin Valley battens down the hatches and prepares for Big Jules's annual visit. Sally, sick of being treated as a secretary instead of a policewoman, files an official complaint against Frank.

Shirley convinces Jo to audition for a television commercial. Jo prepares to make her television debut while Frank acts the nervous "stage mother".

When the school principal decides to bring some "good old-fashioned discipline" back to Burrigan High, the students rebel and Jo organises a protest. Jo is elected president of the new student council, and Alex learns that Andrew has a drug problem.

Jo is booked to do a TV commercial for fresh chickens but her excitement turns to horror when she sees the conditions at the farm. There is an outbreak of Asian flu in the Valley and it looks as if many small poultry farmers are going to lose everything.

Peter takes pity on a teenage runaway and lets him stay at Camelot, much to Ben and Donna's dismay. Peter is devastated when he realises that Stewart was just stringing him along.

Esme is bitten by the gambling bug when Cookie installs a new poker machine in the club. Peter's life hangs in the balance when he suffers a severe allergic reaction.

Peter and Alex organise a romantic weekend away in Sydney but it does not go according to plan. Donna is shattered when she learns that Matt has bone cancer.

Donna finds her nursing skills challenged and ends up resigning after a battle with a middle-age valium addict. When Peter catches Penny and George in Alex's house, they decide to get back at him with a 'magic' potion.

Jo and Ben visit a rundown farm and suspect something is amiss. Hilda Arrowsmith arrives at Wandin Valley Hospital – she's the new acting matron!

Adam Campbell takes a fancy to Jo and invites her to a party at his house. After they get into an accident, leaving Jo in a coma with possible brain damage, Frank is determined to find out who is to blame.

Alex suspects a case of child abuse. Esme is jealous when Cookie shows interest in the matron. Jo checks out of hospital after her recovery and helps reunite a family.

Peter tries to find the right moment to pop the question to Alex, but she's too busy battling a case of hay fever. Terence blows his stack when a patient's life is threatened due to Matron Arrowsmith's scheming.

The Wandin Valley residents band together to prevent the closure of the hospital. Matron Sloan arrives back in Wandin Valley with the hope of saving the hospital.

Jo's school friend Fiona is fed up of having to look after her little brother Jimmy. Fiona runs to Jo and the Gilroys for comfort when her mother turns on her and blames her for Jimmy's death.

When Peter allows his students to choose a book for their open book review, their choice causes him nothing but trouble. A diabetic boy bluffs his way into hospital to escape his overprotective mother.

The new ranger, Cathy Hayden, has trouble coping with the attitudes of the locals and her willful grandfather. Peter goes to work on the Hayden farm and Alex begins to worry about the man she's going to marry.

Alex picks up a young hitch-hiker and blames herself when the girl dies after being in a road accident. Alex gets too involved in the case of a newborn baby who is going through heroin withdrawal.

A hard-headed journalist comes to the Valley to interview Cathy for a story on a "day in the life of a ranger". Alex and Peter's relationship is in trouble and the arrival of Peter's old mentor doesn't help matters.

Alex waits for Peter to make up his mind about Walter Hopwood's job offer. Peter tells Alex of his decision, and now it's time for Alex to do some thinking.

Donna's Aunt Sally comes to visit and Donna and Cathy see a chance to do a little matchmaking. Jack and Sally find they've got a lot in common and Jo becomes the star of a Japanese shampoo commercial.

Frank has a special present in mind for his and Shirley's fifth wedding anniversary. Jo tries to do something special for the Gilroys and ends up getting lectured instead.

Kenny Mitchell starts work at the hospital and befriends a young girl with a crippling disease. Bob and Cookie advertise for a housemate and are delighted with the response.

Terence goes on a health kick, but Alex is concerned that he's overdoing it. Kenny starts making plans for his future with Samantha.

Cookie meets up with a couple of old circus performers and their sick lion. Two circus clowns decide to do one last show for the children of Wandin Valley Hospital.

The local farmers are up in arms over plans to release a wedgetail eagle in the national park. It's Donna to the rescue when a farmer threatens the life of an innocent animal.

Terence transfers a brain dead girl to Wandin Valley Hospital in the hope that her father will agree to turn off the life support system. A father is unable to come to terms with the fact that his daughter is in an irreversible coma.

Donna organizes a surprise party for Ben to celebrate Mozart's birthday. A serious car accident has tragic consequences for the folk of Wandin Valley.

Frank Gilroy senses that there was more to the accident than meets the eye. Penny refuses to accept that her father is dead and the town pulls together for a fund raising dance-a-thon.

Terence puts his vineyard up for sale and ends up regretting his actions. Jo and Frank are at loggerheads because the seargent is refusing to let Jo anywhere near her new car.

A selfish, ageing model checks into the hospital and learns a few lessons about life from Jo. Councillor Muldoon causes even more problems for the hospital when he tries his hand at industrial relations.

A mother suspects that the problems she's having with her teenage son could be caused by more than just a generation gap. Terence tries to help a mentally ill boy but his efforts are in vain.

The local farmers are angry about the abundance of wild pigs in the national park and they blame Cathy for the damage to their crops. Jack Hayden takes a turn for the worse in hospital and Cathy finally learns the truth about his illness.

A new nurse has an unusual introduction to Wandin Valley. Jack, realising he has little time left, decides to take care of some unfinished business.

A couple of thieves cause trouble for Frank. Cathy arranges a reunion between Jack and his long lost son. Penny is having trouble coping with her new life and Alex is having problems of her own adjusting to parenthood.

A hot shot city trained nursing sister arrives in Wandin Valley. Esme is admitted to hospital and is convinced that she is going to die.

Cathy can't believe her luck when she hires a new farmhand, but she is in for a few surprises. Danno, Cathy's new farmhand, goes missing, and Shirley's mysterious caller pays a visit.

A farmer and his wife struggle to come to terms with losing their farm. A man desperate to save his farm resorts to using a shotgun. Bob and Cookie fix Jo up with a "hot" date.

Football fever grips Wandin Valley when the "Wombats" take on Widjeera. Michael tries out for the team, much to Matron Sloan's disgust. Shirley feels the burden of being a policeman's wife and having her husband on the job 24 hours a day.

Terence is named as Wandin Valley's Citizen of the Year. Michael's offer to help Jo study for her driving test has unexpected consequences. Tempers flare over Cathy Hayden's decision to cancel the annual shoot. Meanwhile, narrow-minded gossips have a field day with Jo and Michael.

Wandin Valley is invaded by gun-toting hunters as the annual duck season gets underway. A shooting accident tears a family apart. Penny tries a little matchmaking between her two favourite doctors.